The government has approved a sum of $230million for the Ministry of Railways Development to purchase standard gauge rolling stocks as part of measures to modernise Ghana’s railway sector.
This is to ensure that by the time the rail lines, both the new ones and existing ones being rehabilitated under the Ghana Railway master plan, are developed and ready, the rolling stocks would be available to test the lines.

Rolling stock in the railway industry signifies any vehicle that moves on a railway line, both powered and unpowered vehicles, such as locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons.
The orders for the purchase are yet to be placed, saying this is to enable consultants in the sector carefully decide on the type to be purchased.
We are buying 30 locomotives; we are buying coaches; we are buying wagons and so on. We haven’t placed the orders yet, because we have consultants who are looking at what kind of cargo we need, vans that can take oil and so on.

Mr Ghartey told journalists that it takes between 12 to 18 months for rolling stock to be ready after it has been ordered.
He added that, hopefully, some of the stocks are expected to be in the country latest by September this year.
“The least time to get a rolling stock is between 18 and 12 months. Rolling stock is not like a car you can buy and so we are running out of time.
“There could be a situation where some of the lines would be finished and we will have no rolling stocks to test them,” Mr Ghartey said.

Mr Ghartey noted in addition that the development being undertaken in the railway sector is to ensure the well-being of Ghanaians, devoid of political gains.
“We are developing this nation for Ghanaians, regardless of political affiliations. That is the vision of President Nana Akufo-Addo and a vision that I will assist him to achieve,” the Minister said.
Responding to fares, the Minister said the Ghana Railways Company has reduced it to GHC3, from an initial amount of GHC5, for passengers on the Accra-Tema route.
He explained that the reduction in far is to ensure that more people would patronise the service.
Mr Ghartey admitted that patronage of the train service following the launch of the Accra-Tema train shuttle service has not been the best.
“Patronage, I must confess, could have been better. We’ve tasked the Ghana Railway Company to look at it and even with the GH₵3 per person, they’ll look at it,” he said.
“They won’t look at it in terms of reducing it, but I agree with you that a flat rate has its own problems. And you must put in place a system that allows people to pay different rates for different rides. It is work in progress,” he added.

In addition, the sector Minister said, the final engineering design speed for the project is 160kn/h, with an axle load of 25 tons, from an initial 22.
It consists of the Western line, Takoradi–Kumasi (435.4km with branch line from Dunkwa to Awaso), Eastern line, Accra–Kumasi( 303.9km), Central line, covering Kotoku-Huni Valley(198.84km), Central gap, Kumasi-Tamale (373km) and Tema- Paga(783km).